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2010-04-20T20:54:00.001+01:00

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Taylans Project

2010-03-11T14:34:00.003Z

The team here at motortradesolutions.net would like to support our friends at the Vines Group for their support of Taylans Project and Brain Tumour Awareness.

Vines Press Release:
Vines BMW Group
Vines MINI
Vines BMW Bikes
Vines Contract Hire

Last Friday (5 March), saw the staff at Vines don their best hats for ‘Wear a hat to work day’ to raise money for the brain tumour awareness charity, Taylan’s Project.

To show its support for Brain Tumour Awareness Month, all Vines staff across the seven dealerships were encouraged to wear a hat to work and donate £3 to Taylan’s Project. They managed to raise an impressive £714.66.

Fun was had throughout the day as staff enjoyed cakes and treats whilst enjoying their colleagues dressed in silly hats, and in full fancy dress in some cases.

To help increase the charity pot further, Vines are donating £1 per test drive taken throughout March and is encouraging drivers to come down and try out any car from the BMW or MINI ranges*.

Taylan’s Project was set up in 2009 to help raise money for the charity Brain Tumour Research, following the sad passing of 7 year old Taylan Rawlinson due to a rare and inoperable brain tumour.

Taylan’s Project is encouraging other companies to help raise much needed funds by organising their own events. Visit www.taylansproject.co.uk to find out how you can also raise funds. If you would like to make a donation in support, please visit www.justgiving.com/taylansproject

Vines BMW have branches in Gatwick, Redhill and Guildford. You can keep up with news, stories and events by following Vines on Twitter.

Vines BMW: http://twitter.com/VinesBMW
Vines MINI: http://twitter.com/VinesMINI
VinesBMWBikes: http://twitter.com/VinesBMWBikes

www.vinesbmwgroup.co.uk
www.vinesmini.co.uk
www.vinesbmwbikes.co.uk
www.vinescontracthire.co.uk

To keep in touch with new products or developments at motortradesolutions.net you can subscribe to our news blog, become a fan on Facebook or even follow us on Twitter (MTS808).

motortradesolutions.net is a part of Studio808

Motor Dealer Website Design

2010-03-05T14:28:00.012Z

Motor Dealer Website Design
Motor Trade Website Design
Social Networking for the Motor Trade
Motor Vehicle Website
Internet Car Showroom
Car Dealer Website Design Service
Used Car Websites
Websites for Franchised Motor Dealers
Used Car Locator
Motor Trader Website
Online Marketing for Auto Trade

Why use Motor Trade Solutions?
What happens next?
What sort of websites do we do?

Why use Motor Trade Solutions?
You are in safe hands when entrusting your online vehicle marketing to us. Which means that you can relax and focus your time and attention on other areas of your business.

From the point of your initial enquiry right through the website build and on to ongoing support you deal with the Directors of this business. You are not deferred to sales people, account managers or call centres.

First and foremost we are motor trade people who understand your needs and talk your language. Technical language and jargon is out - you will not be “blinded by science”

Our unique proposition means that we can communicate your desires with our specialist designers, programmers, SEO Specialists etc and deliver the result that you were looking for.

The combined expertise and experience of our team also extends to motor industry marketing. This means that the design of any work undertaken is with full search engine optimisation targeting the markets that you want to attack and also with a view to ease of use and functionality in the web design. This also means that (if you wish) we can support any motor dealer web development with full marketing support including email marketing, 3rd party advertising banners, social media the list goes on...

The 808 Stocklisting Database is fully Google indexed and optimised. It can send feeds to 3rd party advertisers such as the Auto Trader Website, Motors.co.uk, Fish4Cars, eBay Motors and more seamlessly.

What’s more the 808 Stocklisting Database can accept and manipulate feeds from your own dealer management system (such as Kerridge ADP, Dragon2000, Gemini etc) as well as from the motor manufacturers themselves which removes the need for double-keying of stock data to power more than one website and is fully automated.

As part of the Studio808 Group we are specialist motor trade dealer web designers who can cater for any size of automotive industry business from small independents and franchised car dealers to mutlti-franchise motor dealer groups, Plc Operations and the Motor Manufacturers themselves whilst meeting corporate identity standards.

What happens next?

Initial Consultation
Design Process
Ongoing Marketing Support

Initial Consultation: Our approach is very simple. You are not put through to a sales team you deal direct with one of the directors of motortradesolutions.net

We listen to your needs and based upon our discussions we will arrange to meet to fully understand what you are after and share any suggestions or ideas that we have to make your online marketing truly effective.

Our costs and ongoing costs (where applicable) are simple and straightforward. They allow you to plan budgets because they are a fixed menu pricing system. At every stage you will know what you are going to be spending upfront with no hidden fees or surprise invoices. If you agree to go ahead with us then we detail everything we have agreed in writing as well.

Design Process: Once given the go ahead we go to the planning stage and agree with you the design, look and feel for your website. Logos and corporate identity and images are added and checked. Text and original copy isprovided or we can do this for you.

Once you are happy with the look of the site we move on to the build and integrating stock feeds, enquiry forms, offers pages, news pages etc

Ongoing Support and Marketing: Once you have your new website up and running we don’t just walk away and leave you to it. From a support point of view we are contactable on a local-rate telephone number or by email.

From a marketing point of view we keep in regular contact and help you with your online marketing activity and any updates you want made to the site to keep it fresh and optimised. Technology changes too, so we help by keeping your website up to date and as an ongoing client we add any new updates or improvements to our systems for you.

What sort of websites do we do?
As automotive industry suppliers our portfolio of motor industry websites and motor trade marketing activity is always changing, but here is a selection of our work so far and projects in progress:

Independent Motor Dealer Websites
Franchised Car dealer Websites
Motorhome and Caravan Websites
Websites for Motorcycle and Motorbike Dealerships
Vehicle Importer Website
Used Car Locator Sites
Van and Commercial Vehicle Websites
Stock Promotion Websites
Used Car Websites
Car Supermarket Websites
Franchise Car Official Website
Scooter and Moped Websites
Independent Car Sales Websites
Prestige Dealer Websites
Breakdown Service, Rescue and Recovery Company Websites
Online Parts and Accessory Shops eCommerce

This is a very brief overview of the service that we at motortradesolutions.net provide for more information and to experience the difference please give us a call on our local rate number 0845 658 6880, visit the website or use the enquiry form to receive more details.

So to summarise we feel that we are best placed to look after your online marketing needs because:

You are dealing with motor industry experts who talk your language.
The people you deal with own and run the business.
We have a massive wealth of expertise.
Our range of products do not require extra manpower to operate.
Our technology is industry leading.
With our personal service we keep on supporting you long after the website is built.

To keep in touch with new products or developments at motortradesolutions.net you can subscribe to our news blog, become a fan on Facebook or even follow us on Twitter (MTS808).

motortradesolutions.net is a part of Studio808

Motor Trade Website Design

2010-02-08T07:38:00.001Z

BMW Website Design and Build with Search Engine Database Design Motor Trade Social Networking and Motor Trade Marketing Tools built-in to new BMW Website in UK

The BMW Group website for Vines has been rebuilt and redesigned by the Motor Trade Website Design division of Motor Trade Solutions (motortradesolutions.net). The new Vines BMW Group website is designed to meet tough corporate identity standards and has a host of new features over the previous version. The main objectives being:

Generate enquiries and sales leads.
Further enhance the ease of use, functionality and ability to find info quickly.
Integrate with the new wave of motor trade social networking websites.
Increase visibility on search engines for the Group BMW Used Vehicle Stock and Used BMW Video Presentations.
Provide ability to highlight locally sourced offers and sales promotions.
Promote links to the other Vines Group specialised websites including eBay Automotive eCommerce Accessories shop and dedicated Contract Hire website.

Our knowledge of motor trade marketing has brought in a host of new features to this BMW website including the latest version of our 808 search engine database design: -

Google indexed used car stocklisting system showing the group BMW used cars for sale and an easy to use BMW Used Car Locator.
Tabbed BMW Offers pages for local level car dealer marketing and BMW deals including searchable sub-sections for BMW new car sales, BMW Motability, Dealer Events page, BMW Contract Hire, BMW Approved Used Cars and a totally new section for BMW Aftersales Offers featuring seasonal promotions and fixed price BMW Service Costs.
Clear and easy 'call to action' sections to further increase the visitor:enquiry ratio.

The launch of this website by MotorTradeSolutions.net coincides with probably the most important new vehicle launch of the year for BMW dealerships - the new BMW 5 Series saloon - with a register of interest page to add to the customer database.

At the end of 2009 the Vines Group moved into social networking and continue to broadcast news, events and offers using Twitter. MotorTradeSolutions.net manage this communications channel using the 808 Social Networking Virtual Assistant and also produced the designs for the Twitter background and Avatar. The new Vines BMW Group website has links to their Twitter page and BMW news section with RSS feeds.

Check out our newest motor trade website here: www.vinesbmwgroup.co.uk

Searching for a motor trade website design company? MotorTradeSolutions.net are a rare blend of cutting edge web designers and motor industry professionals. By understanding the needs of motor dealerships and motor dealer groups by carefully listening to the specific requirements of our clients we can help maximise your investment in your online presence. We are not just a website design company. We can be your outsourced marketing partners and with a motor industry background, we talk your language.

To find out more please give us a call on 0845 658 6880 or send us a message to receive more information here>>>

The MotorTradeSolutions.net motor dealer website design portfolio can be seen here>>>

To keep up to date with news, stories and latest projects you can follow MotorTradeSolutions.net on Twitter: MTS808 http://twitter.com/MTS808

Motor Trade Websites - view our portfolio on motortradesolutions.net

2010-02-03T22:24:00.009Z

Motor Trade Websites - view our portfolio on motortradesolutions.net

Our automotive website designs and car dealer website services can now be viewed on our new motortradesolutions.net client portfolio page here>>>

Find out more and see examples of our motor dealer website design incorporating the 808 stock listing systems and 808 offers pages by visiting our Website Creation section here>>>

motortradesolutions.net don't just create websites, we are a motor trade marketing company too. The difference with motortradesolutions.net is our level of expertise and service. Our team provide a unique solution because we are a team of motor industry professionals who have a track record in the UK motor industry.

Please visit our website or for more information please call us on our local rate number 0845 658 6880 for an initial discussion.

For interesting news, stories and events please follow us on Twitter
motortradesolutions.net = MTS808 http://twitter.com/MTS808
Studio808 = studio808ltd http://twitter.com/studio808ltd

Contract Hire website for Vines by motortradesolutions.net

2010-01-28T11:01:00.012Z

www.vinescontracthire.co.uk

The Vines BMW and MINI Group have added a dedicated Contract Hire and Leasing website to their portfolio with motortradesolutions.net

The new website covers both MINI Contract Hire and BMW Contract Hire. The task given to motortradesolutions.net was to allow Business Users and Fleet Managers to quickly get the information that they need in a simple format. All contract hire quotes are for 36 and 48 month agreements shown and are shown in a table format with quick reference guides for any optional extras.

The new website also allows the Vines Group to highlight its own Business Partnership Programme.

This website is designed to generate enquiries and sales leads. This has been made as easy as possible for the user by using several options in the contact us page. With a clear 'call to action' users can decide their method of contact depending on what level of information the enquirer wishes to divulge and how busy they are.

For more information on automotive website design by motortradesolutions.net please follow this link>>>

To see examples of our work and our client portfolio please follow this link>>>

motortradesolutions.net can be contacted on 0845 658 6880.

You can follow motortradesolutions.net on Twitter: http://twitter.com/MTS808

Social Media Virtual Assistant Service from motortradesolutions.net

2010-01-06T13:19:00.010Z

Motor dealers, before you visited this page you have probably been told (or read in the press) that Social Media and Networking is the new growth area and you must get your business involved before you are left behind. Sound familiar?

You probably are also a bit sceptical and asking yourself if this is a flash in the pan? Or does this really touch my customers? You may also feel that there is a stigma behind it and wonder if your business should be linked to that?

Still sounding familiar? And we agree... So we do things differently.

First some background: In the 1990s the same comments above were being said about the web, but today would you risk not having your business on the internet? Who would have thought that a large number of used vehicles could be sold based on a few photographs? Or that those customers would sometimes purchase from a dealer hundreds of miles away for the right car or deal?

We have to accept is that buying habits for an increasingly large part of the population are changing again.

The internet has been very successful in helping those who are short of time to research and enquire before venturing to a showroom. They have also been able to search across a wider database of vehicles nationwide and therefore not be reliant on what is on the forecourt at their local dealerships.

Social media is now changing the way people buy because a growing number of consumers wish to engage with the business. This is excellent, because if you do it properly you can build loyalty like never before and increase that cherished repeat business.

The problem is that if all you do is use it to 'market' your products and services then you will alienate your business and lose out to your competition.

There is an art to doing it properly and not damaging your brand or business. You cannot take your foot off the gas. To be really effective requires a consistent approach, is highly time consuming and requires some work outside of business hours.

The team at motortradesolutions.net realise that this is not a viable proposition in today's retail motor industry and so have developed the 808 Social Media Virtual Assistant Service.

Working with and on behalf of the dealer or dealer group your dedicated Virtual Assistant will manage the social networking that your business generates with a view to engaging and retaining existing clients whilst using the momentum that is generated to add new ones.

To find out more about how you can use this incredible tool to enhance your business and customer retention in an increasingly competitive world then please call our team on 0845 658 6880 or use this form to contact us.

Follow us on Twitter: MTS808

Help For Heroes Charity Event at Vines of Guildford.

2009-11-09T14:04:00.006Z

The team here at motortradesolutions.net would like to support our friends at the Vines Group for their Help For Heroes Charity Event to be held later this month.

Vines Group Press Release:

VINES OF GUILDFORD WELCOME MIKE READ AND AUSTIN VINCE PLUS FIRST PUBLIC VIEWING OF TOURATECH “DAWN TO DUSK” VIDEO

Vines of Guildford is hosting a charity evening full of fun and frivolity in support of Help for Heroes as it welcomes adventurer Austin Vince, and DJ Mike Read on Friday 20 November from 7pm.

Austin is set to capture the audience’s attention as he talks about his two around the world trips accompanied by something not on everyone’s travelling checklist - his motorcycle. His comedic tales, which are for adult ears only, are sure to include the time he reached Siberia realising he had forgotten to take a puncture repair kit with him! Austin will be reminiscing for over an hour about his travels and answering questions from those contemplating something similar.

DJ and TV presenter Mike Read will be joining Austin on the night whilst doing what he does best and compeering the evening’s entertainment including the charity auction which will round off the evening’s proceedings. Confirmed auction items up for grabs so far include an LCD Flat screen TV, a K 1300 R for the weekend, a pair of MSV driving experience vouchers, a signed Charley Boorman book, two signed Bee Gees T-shirts, a voucher for BMW clothing and some signed goodies from Ian Wright.

The evenings antics will start with the first full 60 minute showing of the TourTech ‘Dawn to Dusk’ race DVD which took place on 29 and 30 August this year. Guests are welcome to sit and watch the race whilst others mingle and admire the motorbike showroom. Those wanting to watch the race in the comfort of their own homes can buy the DVD on the night, or at a reduced price when purchasing tickets for the evening.

Along with the unique entertainment, the ticket price includes a curry provided by the Army Kitchen, which can be enjoyed whilst listening to the Army Band, and washed down with a complementary drink from Hogs Back Brewery.

All profits from ticket sales will be donated to the Help for Heroes charity, along with all the proceeds from the evening’s charity auction.

Tickets are £20 each. Those wanting a discounted Dawn to Dusk DVD can purchase one ticket and DVD for £35. The DVD will be £20 on the night with £5 from each sale going to Help for Heroes.

So whether you’re bringing your partner or your bike, be sure to bring your sense of humour as Vines of Guildford prepares for a night of adult entertainment.

Tickets are available from Vines of Guildford by calling 01483 207000 or email marketing@vinesgroup.co.uk. Due to the content of Austin Vince’s tales, this is an over 16’s ONLY event.

Vines Group has BMW, MINI and Motorrad dealerships in Guildford, Redhill, Gatwick and now Motorrad at South London. To find a local dealership visit www.vinesbmw.co.uk

You can now follow Vines on Twitter: VinesBMWBikes & VinesBMW

What is motortradesolutions.net?

2009-11-01T08:01:00.008Z

motortradesolutions.net is a rare combination of sales and marketing company dedicated to just one industry – the motor industry. The most important thing to understand is that we are not just another advertising agency or web developer.

The business partners that lead motortradesolutions.net have over 35 years UK Motor Trade knowledge and are dedicated to helping their clients succeed in the highly competitive motor retailing sector. In short we are strategic outsourced marketing partners who work hard for a range of small independent garages, through to prestige sales operations and large Plc groups.

We understand your needs and talk your language.

All motortradesolutions.net services and products are outsourced, so you do not incur the salary costs or employment benefit overheads. You just pay for what you use. Best of all we work with dealers nationally (large and small), so our breadth of knowledge is vast and we will bring that to your business.

motortradesolutions.net are a division of Studio808 who are a long established website, e-marketing and design company as well as providing outsourced marketing services across a variety of diverse sectors. Through Studio808 we can provide eye-popping visuals for your e-Commerce, product presentations, online advertising, email marketing, press adverts, posters, banners, flyers or direct mail campaign. Another benefit for you is that Studio808 also work with a range of other industries both in the UK and internationally so we can bring fresh concepts and ideas into our portfolio.

So what does motortradesolutions.net do?

As we have developed key relationships with our clients we have found that they consider the most valuable aspect of the motortradesolutions.net service is our ability to continuously bring new ideas for their consideration.

This brings a fresh edge to their motor business, but also means that they can get on with the day-to-day operations knowing that they have a team in the background working on these projects.

We are a one-stop-shop for all automotive management in the UK Motor Industry. Our work covers all areas of a motor dealership from sales to aftersales, parts operations and bodyshop. We can facilitate sales and marketing expertise by our dedicated team or through our resource of outsourced industry experts.

So what’s different about motortradesolutions.net?

Lots. The combination of offering sales and marketing expertise from leading motor industry people is a formidable one and above all unique.

The team from motortradesolutions.net work with you to realise your strategic objective, or solve issues that your department or dealership might have and because we have come from a motor retailing background we understand what you need, speak your language and come back to you with highly creative and cost effective solutions.

What can motortradesolutions.net do for you?

No two businesses are the same and the needs are different. With this website we have tried to provide as much information as possible, but really it just scratches the surface. You can subscribe for our regular newsletter or follow us on Twitter (MTS808) where we post success stories or review latest projects on a regular basis.

Our usual approach is to have a preliminary informal chat that has no obligation. To this please call our local rate number 0845 658 6880 or follow this link where you can complete an enquiry form or even use our CALL ME BACK service.

At all times we are dedicated to helping you succeed.

Now you can follow motortradesolutions.net with TWITTER.

2009-10-28T07:37:00.007Z

Fans of motortradesolutions.net can now keep up with our news and latest projects by becoming a follower on Twitter.

The team at motortradesolutions.net will be posting new ideas, fresh projects and stuff we found interesting and think that you will too.

Most importantly it is an opportunity for you all to give your opinions and share your thoughts about the work we are presenting to you. We are keen to hear your thoughts and ideas and field your questions.

Equally we are being followed by like minded people and other motor dealers, dealer groups and motor manufacturers so this is a great opportunity for you to network.

Our Twitter name is: MTS808, don't miss out please join our followers now.

motortradesolutions.net can help your business reach a wider audience and move your marketing up a gear by using social networking websites like Facebook and Twitter. If you would like to know more then email us, direct message us on Twitter (MTS808) or call 0845 658 6880 to speak to our friendly team.

Studio808 fans can also follow us on Twitter: studio808ltd

Trick or Treat Campaign for Used Honda isn't so scary.

2009-10-13T14:27:00.012+01:00

Barretts Honda continue to have success with email marketing from motortradesolutions.net

The management of Barretts Honda in Canterbury, Kent asked motortradesolutions.net (MTS.net) to come up with a campaign that would beef-up used car turnover in October 2009. The incentive was a 3 year breakdown warranty instead of the usual 12 months.

The design team eventually came up with the 'Trick or Treat' campaign as Halloween was fast approaching and produced graphic design for both the emailer and the direct mail postcard.

The click-through page was the used Honda section of the Barretts Group website. The MTS.net stocklisting system was adapted and a special page produced to just show used Honda stock. This allowed visitors to learn about other products supplied by the Barretts Motor Group.

At time of writing the campaign is still ongoing and the direct mail piece has not yet gone out, but we are pleased to report that after the first weekend 3 used Honda cars have been sold as a direct result of this initiative.

Best of all the 3 cars have been to conquest customers that were contacted from an email list that the management of Barretts Honda had purchased separately, bringing new customers into the company.

If you would like the team at motortradesolutions.net to help you with your email marketing then please call us on 0845 658 6880 or use our enquiry form.

The team at motortradesolutions.net are dedicated to helping you succeed. The costs are low compared to press and print advertising and you can react quickly. So take the first step in making a real impact on your business by giving us a call today.

If you want success in motor trade email marketing then read this artcicle: Why use email marketing?

Good News. Scrappage scheme extended.

2009-09-30T17:30:00.008+01:00

Lord Mandelson announces details of a £100 million boost to popular car buying scheme.

The UK's Scrappage Incentive Scheme will be boosted by a further £100 million, the Government has said.

It's also been announced that cars eligible for the scheme can now be six months younger than before, with the age qualification changed to include cars registered on or before 29 Feb 2000 (V registration).

The scheme will come to an end in February 2010 or when the funding runs out, which ever is sooner.

Lord Mandelson announced the new details in a speech this afternoon.

“The [motoring] sector has been strongly affected by the recession, but the scrappage scheme has delivered a boost to manufacturers and the supply chain. We have listened to the concerns of manufacturers and are increasing the funding of the scheme to £400m.

Car sales, which were boosted by the scheme's introduction earlier this year remain fragile.

So far 227,750 orders have been placed through the scheme. The increased funding enables the scheme to fund a further 100,000 vehicles, bringing total budget to £400 million and covering up to 400,000 vehicles in total.

The extension continues as a Government and manufacturer partnership, with matched funding providing the £2,000 discount for each scrappage order.

It's believed the decision to extend the plan, in which the government pays half the cost, and relies on industry to provide the remainder, is being supported by all the major car makers.

However with almost two thirds of the money already spent, it had been feared that the scheme would run out of cash much earlier than planned.

Changes are also set to offer a lifeline to van drivers. Alongside the increased funding the Government will extend the benefits to van owners with vehicles over 8 years old rather than the current 10 year requirement. Auto Express 28th September 2009.

------

Do you want to make the most of enquiries from the Government Car Scrappage Scheme? The marketing solutions provided by motortradesolutions.net (MTS.net) can get your message out there and generate enquiries.

MTS.net can provide innovative and cost effective solutions through online activity, email marketing, direct mail, microsites and targeted prospecting activity.

Please visit our website to find out more or call us now on 0845 658 6880. You can even contact us here.

So sharpen up your marketing activity, let us deal with it for you while you run your business or department.

Making your motor trade website work for you (and keep working for you).

2009-09-13T22:19:00.004+01:00

Making your motor trade website work for you (and keep working for you).

When you are delving into the world of joining the online revolution there are no end of companies who will build your business a website. And I am pleased to inform you that there are some real experts out there who can create an engaging, visually pleasing site that will rank highly in the search engines.

And I am pleased to say that motortradesolutions.net can do the same, but that’s not where it ends.

But before we get into that let’s look at what you want to achieve from your website. For starters...

Is it a fancy brochure about your business or service? Or
Do you need it to help you generate enquiries and sell things?

Usually what you really want is number 2, but what most get is the fancy brochure and the following cycle happens:

Website launch. Lots of excitement, lots of input and people willing to put the time in to keep it updated. The web designers get paid, they’ve done a great job and achieved what the client asked for.

Within 3 to 6 months. The enthusiasm has begun to wane. No one is taking responsibility anymore because they have gone back to doing their jobs. Suddenly they don’t have time and then one day someone asks the question: “has anyone sold anything from this website?” and usually the response is “well we did when it was first launched, but nothing recently”

Website demise. Now the website is a ‘white elephant’ and no-one in the business wants to be attached to it. You’ve bought it anyway (and it is still a fancy brochure), so you leave it to its own devices. Slowly the information becomes out of date and no-one notices that it is slipping down the charts on the search engines. You could go back to your web designers and ask them to do some updates, but that will involve more cost and guess what? No-one wants to invest money in a website that “did not work”.

You have probably seen this yourself and the team at motortradesolutions.net have seen this scenario in many businesses and the cycle is replicated over and over again. It doesn’t take long to find a website with incorrect information or out of date offers. This is very dangerous as 9 out of 10 potential enquirers to your business will check out your website before making the decision to enquire further.

Let us make that point again. This statistic only relates to whether someone enquires, not decides to buy. So if you’re measuring your enquiry:order ratio bear in mind all the anonymous callers to your website who ended the contact to your business right then and there if your website or online activity left them cold.

Our approach is very different. This is because the team at motortradesolutions.net are all successful motor trade people like you. The best part is that we are not just a marketing company. We are a Sales and Marketing Company so we understand both sides of the business. We have worked at the sharp end in dealers and dealer groups where we have created websites that generate real enquiries and sold cars, parts, finance, insurance and accessories through online marketing.

We also have seen the pitfalls faced by dealerships in trying to manage their own websites and the lack of ongoing support from web designers once they’ve been paid. So we have developed an ongoing outsourced support programme where you benefit by having more time to do your job while we keep your website fresh and updated without any unexpected bills.

Our consultative approach means that we find out your needs and objectives and design an online marketing strategy that achieves your goals. We even help with content and copywriting. And we stand by what we do, we will provide measurable data that allows you to see how successfully your website is performing. You will also see where your enquiries are coming from and which section of the website is most liked by your clientele.

As ongoing support we can adjust and flex the approach to the needs of your business and aid you for new product launches, events or revised sales campaigns.

For more information please visit our website motortradesolutions.net or call 0845 658 6880 for an initial discussion to see how we can make an impact on your business.

Landing Pages maximize your e-mail marketing performance.

2009-08-04T06:15:00.008+01:00

motortradesolutions.net provides email marketing with a twist.

The page your visitors see first when they click on an ad link or email promotion is crucial to the success of that ad or promotion. motortradesolutions.net make landing pages work for you.

Whether you're sending a promotional e-mail or an e-newsletter, the main goal is to get subscribers to take action on your Website. These actions might include registering for an event, making a purchase or requesting additional information. Therefore, your Web site is an important extension of your e-mail marketing program.

A properly designed landing page can greatly increase your conversion rates and maximize the performance of your e-mail messages with outstanding results.

An example of the work that motortradesolutions.net has provided is with the Barretts Motor Group in Kent, with their Barretts Honda branch in Canterbury. The full story can be seen here, but they used an emailer to great effect by directing prospective customers to a registration screen that provided a secret code by the motortradesolutions.net autoresponders. This was then easily followed-up for appointment making by the sales team.

This gave the General Manager of Barretts Honda a measurable response to his campaign and was able to plan his staffing for the event accordingly. The results of this event can be seen here.

In contrast the landing page can be used for vehicle launches or customer events. This was used to great effect by East Kent Audi (Inchcape Automotive Group) in 2006 for the launch of the all-new Audi Q7 and later the new Audi TT Coupe. At the time the email database was quite small so motortradesolutions.net used a combination of direct mail and email newsletter to direct invitations to prospective buyers and owners. The direct mail piece had a unique web address for a registration screen (which also captured the email address for future marketing). The email had a hyperlink to the registration screen. Final invitations were sent out following registration. By gathering this information the management of East Kent Audi knew how many guests that they could expect and knew exactly how many guests they had to cater for in terms of refreshments, food etc. It also gave them a cleansed database of email addresses for follow-up campaigns.

Email marketing can be used to great effect for all kinds of uses and best of all it is measurable. motortradesolutions.net can manage the entire project or work with your existing team to produce a campaign that works for you.

Call us now on 0845 658 6880 or use email us for an initial discussion and start making an impact on your business.

Studio808 News Release

2009-07-18T06:17:00.011+01:00

Studio808 News Release

A new strategic marketing company has been created for the UK Motor Industry. motortradesolutions.net (MTS.net) is part of the Studio808 Group of Companies. MTS.net will provide outsourced marketing support car dealerships, motor manufacturers as well as motorcycle dealers, van and truck suppliers and to new and growing businesses in this sector.

The company has been set up as the result of the increasing Motor Industry business that Studio808 had been attracting. James Thomas and Greg Bottle decided to create MTS.net as a division that was completely focused on the needs of the Motor Industry and then allow Studio808 concentrate on its other ventures and core products.

The business brings together strategic consultancy, marketing management expertise and creative know-how under one brand along with the industry leading products and services that have been developed by Studio808.

The team comprises strategists and marketing professionals complemented by creative designers, web developers and copywriters.

Also joining the team is Fraser Morrison as Head of Business Development and is a partner in the Studio808 business. An auto industry professional who has in the last 5 years been at the leading edge of internet car retailing. Fraser has led projects in private and Plc businesses to develop web operations and set up internet sales departments for both the retail and corporate sectors.

MTS.net’s outsourced marketing solutions have been designed for companies that don’t have an in-house team; lack the necessary skills internally; have staffing restrictions; or require temporary support for ad-hoc projects.

Fraser is “looking forward to launching some of our new products including a dedicated parts and accessories website with eCommerce facility, a standalone stocklisting web facility for dealers wishing to expand their coverage or even to advertise non-franchise stock and our highly powerful email marketing facility.”

He added, “With this kind of expertise MTS.net will be able to provide an outsourced marketing department for companies that don’t have one, or extra support for those that do.”

As the name suggests motortradesolutions.net won’t only be providing marketing services to the automotive industry. The company's slogan is Dedicated To Helping You Succeed and the belief is such that MTS.net can bring real benefits to all areas of the business. Fraser has gathered a team of industry professionals who can help in a variety of areas on an outsourced basis.

“Our research has found that in light of recent economic events many businesses scaled down their staffing to such a point that they are now exposed or now lack the people with the necessary skills. We have industry experts who are available on a pay-as-you-go basis to assist in key areas such as Customer Relationship Management, FSA Compliance, Health & Safety, Marketing and many types of Training. Coupled with this we have the facility to provide services as extreme as contract valeting, video mystery shopping, pest control, office cleaning and market research. We are even about to launch an aftersales upsell programme that can add significant profits without any further investment or overhead. So as the list is beginning to grow we are now a one-stop-shop.”

For more information on Motor Trade Solutions by Studio808 please visit their website (motortradesolutions.net) or call the team on 0845 658 6880 or you can now use this form to contact them.

How to boost aftersales profitabilty in 2009.

2009-07-15T18:12:00.009+01:00

How to boost aftersales profitabilty in 2009.

The article below was first published on the motortrader.com website earlier this month and highlights issues that we at motortradesolutions.net are seeing in the areas of the automotive industry that we cover. Read on to the end as if you are facing similar difficulties in your aftersales operation motortradesolutions.net may have the remedy.

Independents more flexible than franchised sites in recession.
Friday, 03 July 2009 motortrader.com

Independent garages have generally adopted faster to the recession than franchise dealers, according to research by Network Automotive, the motor industry consultancy. According to Network independents have led the way in reducing headcount where necessary, responding to changing customer needs and adopting new marketing strategies.

"Independents tend to be smaller businesses with centralised management, so it's no surprise that they have been able to react to the tougher economic conditions faster," managing director Colin Bruder said: "In contrast franchise dealers are larger with more complex management structures and have the added complication of manufacturer involvement. It takes more time to bring about change."

Customers haggling on price Bruder said an emerging trend is that customers are now more likely to haggle over the price of servicing jobs.

"For all kinds of work, customers now want to haggle over the price. If you quote £200 for a service, they might counter with £180 and you arrive at £190 as an agreed figure. "Independents can handle this kind of thing easily - often the owner is very hands-on and may even be taking the booking. For franchise dealers, though, this has been more difficult to deal with. Service managers often have their hands tied by menu pricing and do not have the power to negotiate on price. Some have lost business because of this inflexibility."

Bruder said independents have also been more aggressive on marketing price cuts on used cars than franchised sites. Ends.

Whilst it’s true that independent and privately owned business can adapt quicker than say a large PLC operation it is true to say that you have to understand the plight of the aftersales manager these days.

For too long the parts and service departments have propped-up the accounts of most franchised dealerships and in today’s marketplace the sales department is making even less contribution to the overall picture, so the managers of the aftersales department are feeling the heat. However he/she is probably running a leaner service and parts operation than before with less resource front-of-house. In the midst of this, the labour margins are under pressure because customers are ‘shopping around’.

So what does an aftersales manager do? Let the business walk?

Well there are several elements to this, first of all are the service advisors ‘selling’ the benefits of going to a franchised dealer? The answer is probably not, because they are under severe time constraints and when was the last time they were trained or coached on handling objections? I guess that it if ever happened before, it has not happened for some time.

In some ways they may even be glad not to get the booking because it only adds to the pressure they find themselves under.

If you let the business walk you are potentially never going to see them again (even when things get better) and worst of all you are almost certainly watching the next car sale for your dealership walk out the door too.

So now the Aftersales Manager is now asked by their boss what he/she is going to do to increase business and profitability, because the dealership “needs it”. Often they are asked how they are going to market their department – and when are they going to find any time to do that!?

Well help is at hand, because motortradesolutions.net is owned and operated by leading motor industry professionals who understand the pressures that you find yourself under, but are also dedicated to helping you succeed.

They have developed a suite of products and methods that give you the tools to generate increased service department traffic and help you capture the drivers of older vehicles. Sales training for service advisors is also part of the portfolio and motortradesolutions.net also have some added value products which can be used to generate incremental profit whilst also providing an outstanding value service to your customers.

And finally, are you selling all the parts and accessories that you could? Do you have some ageing or obsolete parts stock that you’d like to get off your inventory? Would you like a 24 hour online shop that’s easy to manage and operate? We can help with that too.

Motor Trade Solutions are able to help any size of business from independent retailers and traders to large dealer groups and Plc operations. For further information visit our website or to discuss your requirements please contact us or just call our team for an initial discussion on 0845 658 6880 and start making an impact on your business.

HSE Announce Tyre Handling Workshops

2009-07-13T07:14:00.004+01:00

HSE Announce Tyre Handling Workshops

The HSE, working with the National Tyre Distributors Association and the British Tyre Manufacturers Association, is staging a country wide series of workshops to draw attention to the dangers of handling tyres.

The workshops are open to tyre retailers, motor dealers, manufacturers, tyre recovery companies and anyone involved in the transportation of all sizes of tyres. Local authority inspectors are also invited and the events may attract CPD points. Everyone will receive a certificate of attendance.

Moving and fitting tyres involves a lot of manual handling. Back and other muscular injuries are common. The cost to employers is considerable and, of course, the physical cost to workers can be painful and long-term.

But there are simple and effective ways to reduce the level of manual injury in the industries, using examples specific to tyre retail premises. The three hour workshops will start with a buffet lunch and continue with:

MAC Tool demonstration using examples of how to use the HSE's manual handling assessment chart to assess MH tasks in the retail tyre industry
Local Authority inspector
An industry speaker
Manual handling training information

For more information click here to visit the useful HSE website on this subject.

Motor Trade Solutions have a team of leading Health & Safety Practitioners who can help and advise your business on an outsourced basis. You only pay for what you need to keep your business up to date with Health & Safety regulations.

Our consultants are there to help you and not to be obstructive to your business. They will advise you of legal requirements and help formulate plans and procedures that complement your operation without being heavy handed.

We can help anyone from small independent workshops and body shops to large dealer groups to PLC operations. For an initial discussion or more information please call 0845 658 6880 or use our contact us form.

The Power of Email Marketing.

2009-06-28T13:49:00.004+01:00

In June 2009 Vines Guildford MINI began a used car campaign and asked us to produce an eye catching email newsletter to for its database of customers and prospects.

The result was what you see to your right. If you click on it you will see the entire message which highlighted the:

MINI Used Car Campaign
Government Scrappage Scheme
New MINI Convertible
Vines MINI Guildford Website

After the first weekend we received this email:

On 22 Jun 2009, at 17:27, Naomi Elliott wrote:

Great News -

Just thought you may like to know that Guildford MINI sold 8 cars at the weekend and had 4 people waiting to come into the dealership when they opened the doors. They’ve had loads of enquiries following our email.

I suggested an urgent email as last week they were struggling with no enquiries coming in.

A good job all round :)

Cheers
Naomi

For more information on Marketing Services by Motor Trade Solutions at Studio808 please visit our website (motortradesolutions.net) or call the team on 0845 658 6880.

Health and safety law

2009-06-28T11:19:00.007+01:00

Health and safety law - what you need to know?

As from 6 April 2009, HSE is publishing new versions of its approved health and safety poster and leaflet.

The new versions are modern, eye-catching and easy to read. They set out in simple terms, using numbered lists of basic points, what employers and workers must do, and tell you what to do if there is a problem.

Employers can, if they wish, continue to use their existing versions of poster and leaflet until 5 April 2014, as long as they are readable and the addresses of the enforcing authority and the Employment Medical Advisory Service up to date. This information can be obtained from HSE's Infoline on 0845 345 0055.

The leaflet that employers can give to workers, instead of displaying the poster, will be in the form of a pocket card that is better suited to the workplace. These will also be available from 6 April 2009.

As from 6 April 2009 it will only be possible to buy the new law poster and obtain the new pocket cards.

Motor Trade Solutions have a team of leading Health & Safety Practitioners who can help and advise your business on an outsourced basis. You only pay for what you need to keep your business up to date with Health & Safety regulations.

We can help anyone from small independent workshops and body shops to large dealer groups to PLC operations. For an initial discussion or more information please call 0845 658 6880 or use our contact us form.

New Online Parts and Accessory shop by Motor Trade Solutions is causing quite a stir.

2009-06-24T15:47:00.010+01:00

A new eCommerce facility offered by the team at Motor Trade Solutions has created a lot of online interest.

The online Parts and Accessory Shop can be adapted to suit any motor business or franchise while meeting any tough corporate identity guidelines.

The advantage being that the dealer himself can choose what to highlight and advertise prominently 24 hours a day while reaching a national or international audience.

Motor Trade Solutions clients tell them that the parts and accessory operation represents a significant opportunity for profit and growth in the current marketplace, which is probably not being exploited to its full potential.

A large number of customers are bypassing the dealer parts department in favour of household names like Halfords, or are choosing to visit motor factors instead. It is an opportunity missed.

Most manufacturers now offer lifestyle accessories such as clothing, hats, children's toys, motoring memorabilia, key rings, models, specialist cleaning products, roof bars and roof boxes which are often unseen in a typical dealership and are excellent value for money.

MTS.net have developed a system with a low start-up cost and small monthly subscription, allowing their clients to have a minimal outlay in initial investment with the back-up of an ongoing support service from Motor Trade Solutions.

Read more about it through this link or call the team at Motor Trade Solutions on 0845 658 6880 for more details.

New Health and Safety Executive Website

2009-06-22T09:01:00.002+01:00

Motor Trade Solutions would like to inform you of the New Improved HSE Website.

The HSE has recently undertaken a review of its website and has improved the layout and accessibility for users to free information.

To access the website directly click here

Key information:

Reporting incidents
Starting your own business
Risk assessments
Write a safety policy
Health and safety law poster

Key Topics:

CoSHH
Swine Flu
Health and Safety strategy of Great Britain

They also have a excellent section called “About you” where you can get access to various health and safety information for your business. You can also sign-up to email bulletins so that you can keep up to date with all theat’s new in Health and Safety.

There’s even a section dedicated to Health and Safety in the Motor Vehicle Repair Industry (MVR) where you can learn how to work safely, reduce your risk of accident, injury and exposure to harmful substances such as isocyanate paint mist.

Motor Trade Solutions have a team of leading Health & Safety Practitioners who can help and advise your business on an outsourced basis. You only pay for what you need to keep your business up to date with Health & Safety regulations.

We can help anyone from small independent workshops and body shops to large dealer groups to PLC operations. For an initial discussion or more information please call 0845 658 6880 or contact us by clicking here

Overworked Sales Managers

2009-05-22T10:42:00.003+01:00

The role of managing the Internet has outgrown most Sales Departments as Dealerships find Web-based sales becoming more prevalent. Internet sales have evolved and with online sales of new and used vehicles, parts and service increasing every year it has caused a lot of stress and strain on the conventional Dealership model.

Initially the role of the Sales Manager was to sell cars, manage stock and motivate the team. Today more of their time today is spent solving IT issues, supervising, working with lead management and CRM tools, updating web sites, developing and managing online marketing actions, running reports and meeting with representatives of various Internet product and service providers.

Nothing Fails Like Success

Even with the growth and new markets the web has given his has resulted in Sales Managers across the UK viewing the Internet inversely as a time consuming necessary evil, or at best have lost their initial enthusiasm for what web enquiries can bring them. This is evident not only by the feedback that we have received, but also by the countless websites you see with offers that expired months ago or used cars that are long since sold.

Some forward thinking dealerships and dealer groups have employed Marketing Managers or even Internet Managers to take on this strain. This has helped, but once again the research shows that these people do not necessarily have the specialist motor industry experience and in today’s marketplace they are a large cost that the business can do without. So now that this no longer fits the ‘lean’ business model they have either been made redundant or in a majority of cases they have had had other roles/functions added to their job description which further dilutes their impact on the dealers web activity and assistance that they can give to the Sales Manager.

Our studies have found that responsibility for updating websites has been given to showroom reception staff or even the sales team – who just see it as another burden and interruption. We have even discovered used car listings and photographs being ‘managed’ by part-time weekend staff. Where Marketing/Internet Managers have been retained we find that their roles have often been combined with such responsibilities as P.A. to the General Manager, Showroom Host or Service Advisor.

Whoever takes ultimate responsibility, it usually results in a haphazard approach to promoting the business. It is increasingly the case that consumers will base their decision on whether they actually visit or call the dealership based on the information they can get from the dealers website. This is very frightening because before you could at least look at your enquiry levels, footfall and phone activity and based on your order rate construct a reasonable idea of your success ratio. Now you have to consider all the customers who have passed you by and whom you have never met just because your website did not give them what they were looking for. It is a fact of life that when customers’ notice that the information has not been updated for months or the offers they are looking at are out of date, they will make a sweeping judgement about the way that your company operates.

To maintain a competitive position in the crowded Internet market, a dealer must participate in a variety of online marketing actions:

Dealership web sites (both their own and manufacturer-sourced sites)
Stock/Inventory management (pictures, descriptions and pricing)
LiveChat
eNegotiating
eNewsletters
Search engine optimization
Search engine marketing
Manufacturer-sourced leads
Third- party sourced-New and-used leads
Online classified
Stock/Inventory management (pictures, descriptions and pricing)
Online auctions
Community bulletin boards.

Not many dealers have the time or the experience to effectively study each of these marketing actions and understand how they can help them grow their business. As a result, they have to depend on department managers to keep them competitive by studying these products and services and offering recommendations on what the dealership truly needs in play to stay at the front of the pack. This puts a great deal of pressure on the manager and is not really his/her area of expertise.

Distributing the Internet load is going to be a key challenge for dealers and general managers over the next few years.

motortradesolutions.net have solved this issue by creating the role of an outsourced Internet sales and marketing manager who works with the dealer management team. This is a complimentary role and which brings cutting-edge expertise to the business and is affordable. By shifting and distributing the workload through our team of specialists this takes pressure of the existing management team and allows them to get on with what they are best at – running your business. Best of all it does not add to the headcount and you only pay for what you need.
The Outsourced Internet Sales and Marketing manager is not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. All dealers and dealer groups have different needs and problems. More often than not we discover new ones with each new client. What is consistent is that the landscape has changed for any normal business operation and the better you plan for these changes today the more likely your dealership will keep pace with the sales and profit growth opportunities that effective marketing strategies can provide.

To give examples we can do everything from completely administering and formulating your company’s marketing strategy and brand identity to just being advisors to your management on web and email marketing. Whatever you choose to do with us we tailor our approach to best suit your needs and budget.

No addition to headcount.
Fixed low monthly cost. You only pay for what you need.
No company car, pension, national insurance or employee benefits packages to pay for.
More time for your management team to get on with their jobs.
Cutting-Edge Marketing Knowledge and ideas.
Easy to set-up
Tailored to your needs

By investing in any outsourced marketing from motortradesolutions.net we work with you in partnership and endeavour to take away the day-to-day time consuming problems that dealership management face.

To learn more and for an initial discussion please call us on 0845 658 6880 or email us direct info@motortradesolutions.net

As experienced motor trade people we at motortradesolutions.net understand that the UK Dealer Network is under increasing pressure,

1. To keep costs low
2. To generate more profit and a greater return on investment

More often than not this is a very difficult balancing act. Motor Trade Solutions is dedicated to helping you achieve this with innovative answers to your problems and challenges.